Virginia Western Community College
Virginia Western Community College offers hands-on training for skilled trades like HVAC, plumbing, electrical wiring, and welding, with many programs structured as "Fast Track" career studies certificates that can be completed in a year or less. The college also has a strong focus on healthcare professions, preparing students for careers in nursing, dental hygiene, and various allied health fields. Virginia Western provides career services, including advising, resume development, interview preparation, and employer connections, to help students and alumni with job placement.
Programs Analyzed
Avg Grad Earnings
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
Tuition (In-State)
All Programs at Virginia Western Community College
18 trade programs at Virginia Western CC, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.
| Program | Score | Earnings | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
80 | $64,052/yr | $12,789 |
|
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
80 | $48,420/yr | $19,039 |
|
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
72 | $38,214/yr | $10,875 |
|
Health Administration
Health and Medical Administrative Services Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
68 | $28,754/yr | $14,670 |
|
Dental Assisting
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
67 | $61,030/yr | $9,091 |
|
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
67 | $54,480/yr | $12,000 |
|
Electrical Installation
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
66 | $34,439/yr | — |
|
HVAC Technology
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
62 | $40,629/yr | — |
|
Industrial Production Technology
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → |
60 | $49,287/yr | — |
|
Vehicle Repair Technology
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
60 | $30,414/yr | — |
|
Electrical Engineering Technology
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
59 | $40,104/yr | — |
|
Clinical Laboratory Science
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
55 | $31,772/yr | — |
|
Human Development & Family Studies
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
55 | $21,057/yr | — |
|
Social Sciences
Social Sciences, General Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
50 | $19,220/yr | $9,346 |
|
Design
Design and Applied Arts Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
47 | $31,440/yr | — |
|
Biological & Physical Sciences
Biological and Physical Sciences Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
47 | $27,786/yr | $6,000 |
|
Welding & Metalworking
Precision Metal Working Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
46 | $22,788/yr | — |
|
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
46 | $22,692/yr | $9,799 |
Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.
More Trade Schools in Virginia
Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in Virginia, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.
Apprenticeship Pathways in Virginia
Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in Virginia. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.
Trade Schools Near Roanoke
Other cities in Virginia with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Roanoke.
About This Data
TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 18 trade and vocational programs at Virginia Western Community College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).
The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.